Dispatch 2: Retail Therapy
Funny how it feels to be easing my way back into snowsports now that fall has approached and my ankle is healed. I returned from Baruntse last May just in time for great high country conditions only to find that I wouldn’t get on snow again until a few weeks from now, my ankle was broken, but not my spirit. Now that I am here, there are more than a few new things I’ve adopted to aide my recovery toward the alpine environ that I’ve let draw me back over for my second Himalayan expedition in 2010.
The first aide is a new ice axe. Although this seems like pretty standard equipment and as a pro athlete you can bet I have more than 3 pairs…this one is different…it’s long like a cane. It’s like what I started with in 1998. It’s true, I have hung up the pairs of short drooped fangy technical climbing tools on this trip and will be styling with a shiny new Ice Axe that weighs next to nothing and its really strong. It’s only function; catch a roped fall on a moderately steep glacier (easy) clear snow out of my boots. Be something to lean over should I need to puke…hmmm, well scratch that last one.
The second and most amazing breakthrough I had was deciding to purchase a pair of cramp ons, that’s right, the steely pointed traction device of mountaineers everywhere. I have so many rusted pairs of steep ice climbing cramp ons and light techy ones too but they all served on function…get me up the steepest gnarliest ice and rock climbs I could find…well, they are overkill for what I am doing today. They suck at walking. I mean really suck and make you bumble like an idiot too. So I bought a pair of cramp ons so light so shiny, so new that I have been fixated on just putting them on my boots when we hit snow, I can’t wait.
The best part about being a Ski Mountaineer on this trip rather than preparing for steep ice and rock climbing at 21,000′ is that I can actually enjoy beginning again with the same passion and love that I have had for the mounains all this time. I can’t think of anything cooler than geeking out about new gear that although it’s functionality might not be ideal for the environs of my past trips, is 100% the best stuff for my immediate future. That’s a great indicator of how fun I anticipate the feeling of climbing and skiing with my friends on 20,800′ Mount Saribung in Mustang. Breaking my ankle helped me to rekindle my love for even the most basic of functions in the high mountains and to be proud that my friends are joining me for things that don’t intimidate the fun out of them. I’m focused now more than ever, but on the mountains rather than on all of their unsung undone prizes.
It’s cool. Cooler than ever actually.
Ben Clark